Growing and Using Moringa, Comfrey, and Healing Herbs

Learn how to grow and use Moringa Trees, Comfrey, medicinal herbs, adaptogen herbs such as Jiaogulan, and herbal medicine to create vibrant health and an enriched life style. There are a number of herbs you can grown at home which is fun and great for your health.
Learn Tips on feeding your pets and livestock naturally with organic greens such as Comfrey, Kudzu, plantain, and Moringa. Get back to your roots in a healthy way.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Is Moringa Leaf Powder Safe In Large Doses? Misleading Research ....Presenting the flaws of research

This week a customer ask me this question after reading an research article summary. I am sure that she is not the only one who has read it. It is basically a summation of many different research papers published on Moringa. When reading research you need to look at a number of points as you evaluate it. Unless you are willing to read all the research articles published yourself, you must look at this research summary for its validity and flaws.

You will find it on the link below. This is why I get so irked at research articles on alternative medicine subjects including Moringa.

#1: What is the way Moringa is normally used? Very important to the research paper published and its validity.

Moringa is a food. In places like India, it is grown on a tree in the yard or branches with leaves are bought at the local market place. The leaves are stripped off the tree and used in various dishes. The leaves may be ground into a gruel and fed to children or families. This is the way it is used just like we would carrots or some other veggie. It is not considered a supplement but a food. It becomes a supplement when you put it in capsules and extracts.In various projects in Africa, Moringa is used as a food to help starving people. It is one of the only food sources that can be grown easily. It is given to pregnant mothers to help with their nutrition and given to babies and young children to help them gain weight. In these countries, the death of their babies before the age on one is common and tragic. They get several tablespoons per day as food. It is also made into a gruel. These projects have been going on for a number of years. The babies gain weight, begin to play, and act like a healthy child should. These children began with compromised health due to starvation.

Moringa News,"The International Eye Foundation is promoting Moringa for the
prevention of childhood blindness in poor countries. Indeed, Moringa,
through their richness in vitamins, saves precious eyesight in the most
vulnerable victims, children with vitamin A deficiency.

Maybe among all the good news, the most moving stories came from the
Senegalese project “Mother and Child Health“. In an effort to combat
child death and disease due to malnourishment, the use of locally grown
Moringa was proposed to infants, their nursing mothers and pregnant
women. Although Moringa grows in Africa, Moringa leaves were rarely used
as food before.

The Medical staff advised parents to put a little bit of leaf powder
in the child`s food for every day. Children were weighed before and
after 2-3 months of such a supplement. ( many survived ONLY on Moringa
leaves or seed powder!) When the women brought back their children a few
months later, they were hardly recognizable! Malnourished mothers who
did not produce enough milk for their babies, also recovered beyond all
expectations on a Moringa diet."

In several AIDS projects, Moringa is given to weak patients to build up their weight and nutrition. They arrive at the clinics thin, weak, and unable to do much to help themselves. They get better with the Moringa as food.These projects are overseen by doctors and nurses who see the patients and their health improve. I would think these doctors would notice ill results. They are given a lot of Moringa because it is a food. If you give babies, compromised babies and children a food, and they get better and healthier, that is a pretty good research in real situations with real people not lab rats and test tubes.

#2: How was the research performed? Most of it was using lab test tubes with Moringa extracts of either the leaves, whole plant, or parts of the plant such as the seeds. Some rat and mouse studies.

What part of the plant was used in the experiments? Different parts of the trees have different properties and nutrition. The Moringa root contains alkaloids that are strong so should not be eaten as a daily food. The flowers should not be eaten on a daily basis either. It is the leaves that are the main food product of this tree, along with the pods.

IMP: Moringa Extracts are not normal use. Moringa extracts can change the composition of the product depending on how it is extracted, if heat is used, and the chemicals used to extract the product.

Extracts potentate the product as well. It is important to know if they tested it for contamination and heavy metals first. In most of these research studies, it does not state any of those details. It does not tell you what chemicals and process was used to extract the product. Why is the above information or lack of it important?

In the first part of this article he states this," While supplemental dosages listed below appear to be safe from all
tested toxicity a relatively small increase (3-4 times the recommended
does) is known to cause genotoxic damage and may promote cancer
formation whereas doses higher than that cause overt organ damage
(mostly liver and kidneys). "

IMP: The article leaves out important information at this point even though he states it later. Many people would not read further since the article is very dense.

Later on several times he states that a ' leaf ethanolic extract' was used in the research or a specific extract of moringa oleifera (methanolic extract, but a Toluene-ethylacetate subfraction that was 0.26% yield ' extract.

In some of the experiments, Moringa was injected into the rats. ( How many of you inject yourself with Moringa?)

In none of the experiments was the product used as a whole food eaten in a normal manner.

When did the toxicity occur?

The toxicity occurred when the mice were injectedwith high amounts of an extract or when given large doses of extract to mice and rats.

So this is not research based on normal use. The most common way to eat Moringa is fresh, in powder form, tea form, or in caps....not extracts. Extracts are generally not used at the levels in the experiments.

The extraction method and chemicals to extract the Moringa could have caused the toxicity. The method and chemicals used in the process are factors that could change the whole meaning of the results. The product was fractured, not given whole.

Ask Yourself This

I would think that the doctors overseeing these projects using real people who are compromised and starving would know soon enough if the product produced toxic health problems.

These doctors would observe that the babies got worse instead of better after several years of treating starving patients with Moringa.

Isn't treating real people and babies the real and most effective test of Moringa not rats getting injected and fed extracts of fractured product derived from chemical extractions?

My Thoughts and Advice:

I would not advise eating the root and flowers on a regular basis. There are alkaloids in the root that does not lend itself to eating everyday as a food. The flowers have properties should not be eaten everyday as a food. The seed pods are used as a food in those countries.

If you are pregnant:

If you are pregnant, you need to make sure you have your doctor's approval first. You need to make sure the product has been tested in the US for bacteria, mold, E-coli, and other contamination. Contamination of the product could be very toxic to you pregnant or not. I would not eat any Moringa product that has not been tested or that has been packaged in a foreign country...see my other blogs on this.

On Moringa Pods:

The Moringa leaves are the part, most often used as a food. The pods are cooked as well. Make sure your pods were not treated with chemicals or contaminated with mold.

The best way to use the pods is freshly picked by you not purchased from a company. When you buy pods from a 500 lb bag, you have no idea of the possible contamination or mold in that product. You can't know. Only a test or microscope can see the contamination or mold. This is the danger of some products...contamination, mold, bacteria, E-Coli, mouse parts, insect parts, and filth.

How do I know this? I lost product in the beginning of our business due to filthy organic certified product tested and packaged in India. I have all the customs proof you would like on the subject. That was several years ago and the lesson was hard earned.

Go Slowly when adding Moringa, herbs, or new foods to your diet.

When trying any new food, herb, or supplement go easy. Start out with a small amount, then eat more as you go along. If you are not eating fiber, then you eat lots of it, you will see digestive changes. With Moringa use 1 cap for several days or a 1/2 tsp of the powder then increase a few days later. Add it to juice or half strength juice, yogurt, peanut butter, or applesauce ....experiment.

Can Moringa leaf powder have side Effects?

You can be allergic to it.

Moringa may not agree with you....that can happen with any supplement or new unfamiliar food. Rice does not agree with me and I love it. Red meat does not digest for me, so I don't eat it often. I have not eaten any kind of steak for years. So for each individual there are foods which make you feel great and foods which don't agree with you. This can be said for any food-nutritious or not.

It can have the effect of loose stools due to the fiber in it, the clean out effect on some people, or it being a new food in your digestive system. I can eat watermelon but then I spend time in the bathroom. Certain other foods have that effect on me as well, including any green drinks even when I make them from fresh produce.

Moringa leaf powder and Prescription Medications:

Moringa is known to help balance blood sugar levels, so if you are taking diabetes medicine, check your blood sugar as you go along. You might need less medicine. This goes for people taking blood pressure medicine or high cholesterol medicine. Moringa goes in with its nutrition and beneficial properties and helps build up weak organs and systems. In doing this, those organs may work more effectively, cutting down the need for your medicine.

Moringa could react with some medicines as well. It is always a good idea to get the advice and approval of your doctor as you go along. Foods including dairy, grapefruit juice, and other foods can indeed affect the way drugs work in your body. In some it makes the drug work longer or with increased results. In others it may reduce the effect of the drug. Take herbs, supplements, and Moringa several hours after or before taking prescription medications. Green foods tend to thin the blood and so could interfere with blood thinning medications. Again those of you on prescription drugs need to be aware that certain foods can affect how medications work in your body.

I do hope this answers your question on this issue.

Blessings, Kate Freer

Buy USDA Organic Certified Moringa Powder, Tea, and Capsules from Ecuador. The products are tested and shipped from a US/GMP compliant lab in Connecticut.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

I am writing this blog because there are certain prominent web sites claiming Moringa is the 'cure' all for every disease in the PDR including Ebola. One of them was using one of my articles I wrote as his own work. His website has cure written everywhere. He creates videos and Ebooks and hype. There are many out there.

You need to watch out for sites that use the word 'CURE' all over their pages or market Moringa as the only product is the world worth your time and money. God created many different herbs for healing. Moringa is first and foremost nutritious food.

I sell Moringa but many of these health claims are sales pitch and overstated. Those sites are misleading people in dangerous, critical ways. I am a Master Herbalist, not a salesman. It is my first obligation to my readers to speak the truth even if I don't sell as much product. I am a healer first and I sell Moringa second. Just because it's printed does not make it truth. You can market the worst product with great ads. You can fail with a better product for lack of proper marketing. In that marketing, there should be ethics and morals in its application. That is true less of the time on the internet.

Here are the reasons why these websites are misleading you by using the word 'cure' and stating that Moringa could 'cure' Ebola.

These websites are using 'the fear of Ebola' to sell products that in the case of Ebola, are NOT going to save your life.

#1: Herbs and or Moringa do not cure in themselves. Herbs and alternative therapies are used as tools by your body and its built-in immune system to defeat the bad guys. Your body's immune system defeats the invader with various built in weapons such as white blood cells and T-cells. Age, diet, and overall health are three factors which determine if you get well and how soon.There is not one herb that is the 'ONE' for every health situation. It may take several herbs in combination. In some cases none of them may work. An example is in cancer or other life threatening cases. Different diseases, various bacteria, virus, and other problems respond to herbs and alternative medicine on an individual basis. It may take experimenting to find the right one for your problem. The amount you need of that herb various with the person, their age, weight, overall health, and the health of their immune system. The problem with Ebola, there is no time to find the right herb or dosage. It takes over the system rapidly.

Herb programs must be individually designed according to each person and their particular health problem. Often, you need the expert advice of a holistic healer or holistic doctor to help you do that. #2: Each herb or combination of herbs affect the body in different ways; some herbs build up the body systems; different herbs cleanse the blood or intestinal system; herbs such as garlic are natural immune boosters; Garlic, goldenseal, oregano, and myrrh are shown in research studies to actually kill different virus and bacteria. Tea tree oil is another one which kills bacteria. So there is not just one herb that fits all. Example: My husband got a staph infection after an injury to his arm at work. The only herb that worked on that MRSA infection was Goldenseal powder directly packed into the wound. The tree oil worked but not enough to wipe it out. So the right herb for the job is important. You must give herbs in this case both internally and on the wound itself. If this does not stop the infection quickly, then go to Urgent Care. Staph needs to be treated quickly and effectively.

In his case, the medicine given to him at urgent care did not work. Two doctors misdiagnosed the infection and gave ineffective medicine. We then tried Goldenseal which stopped the infection in two days. This was after giving standard medicine several weeks to do its job. Now we pack any wound he gets at work immediately with Goldenseal powder. The tea tree oil was not as effective. Right herb for the right job. This took time and time is what you don't have much of with Ebola.Ebola: This disease hits fast and kills. The fever and vomiting are two of the symptoms so herbs taken internally are going to get thrown up as well. This disease takes over the blood stream and organs, killing the patient in a matter of days.My first move would be a call to the hospital. Then next I would seek treatment at a hospital with the proper equipment for Ebola. If you treat it at home, you are exposing others to the sickness. Once the illness takes over, you will not be able to treat yourself either alone.

If you are living in that country with no access to medical care, I personally would isolate myself, then use massive amounts of Vitamin C, garlic, Oregano, and Goldenseal. If there is a similar native herb with healing ability, I would try that. It could work...or you could die. There is a good chance, the herbs would not be strong enough against Ebola. If you began taking them before the disease sets into the system (before symptoms begin), you would have a better chance than once the vomiting sets in. The horrible vomiting and fever leads to dehydration which can kill in itself. It is like sending a team of 10 against thousands with better weapons.

Your immune system health is critical! Without a working immune system, herbs or standard medicine will not save you.

Fatigue, heat, and other factors lowers immune function. That is why health professionals fall to the disease. They are fatigued from days and weeks trying to save people. Their emotions are exhausted from watching people die and dealing with the horrible symptoms such as bleeding from the eyes.Can you imagine watching people die, bleeding out despite all that you do to save them?

The problem with treating Ebola alone or at home: it is passed by contact with body fluids like urine, sweat, and vomit. Unless you are using protective clothing, you and other family members will end up getting it too and dying. The vomiting itself will cause dehydration in the patient. If he is unconscious, getting fluids down the patient would have to be by IV. You can choke them to death or get fluids in their lungs if they are unconscious. If you think you could have Ebola, call emergency first, then go. If you go to ER without them knowing that you could have this illness, you take the chance of exposing everyone in the ER and waiting room to Ebola.

Why Herbs often fail in fast moving diseases such as Ebola

Wrong herb....virus and bacteria is not affected! By the time you figure out what herb in what quantity may work, you are close to death.

Poor quality herb product: herb's medicinal value is worthless

Not enough herb: The dosage does not match the severity of the disease

Herb Not taken often enough: Herbs must be taken four times a day or more in large doses. If you are throwing up, nauseated and weak...this will not work well.

Vomiting: Herbs don't stay down long enough to work: digestion is failing so herbs are not utilized. If you are in stomach pain, nothing in the stomach works. The virus or bacteria takes over the body, overwhelming the immune system, and any herb given. It goes and destroys the different organs and systems quickly.

With Ebola, IVs are needed to bypass the digestion system. You must get water into the patient to replace lost fluids. Nutritional elements can also be added to the IV such as potassium to help the body to fight.

What part could Moringa play in Ebola and other wasting diseases like AIDS.

When stricken with a life threatening disease, you lose weight, you don't feel like eating, and you are weak.

In a case like Ebola, the most effective administration of fluids in by IV. It is hard to get enough fluids including Moringa in a drink down a deathly ill person by mouth to do the job. Water is what they need first to replace the fluids lost in the fever and vomiting.

Moringa given as a drink or in a soup could help the patient to build up strength, build up the immune system. and recover from the effects of being sick, once the crisis was over. Moringa would be one part of a program to build up the patient once the worst is over.

The nutrition in Moringa could reduce the days needed to recover. This is where it would be the most valid or before the person got sick. If your immune system and nutrition is optimal you can fight off illness more effectively and recover more quickly.

I hope this clarifies the information being presented in some of the other websites out there. If I thought I had contacted Ebola, Moringa would not be my choice for fighting it quickly.

As much as I don't like standard medicine and its treatments, there are times when it is valuable and effective. IV's are important in saving lives. If I got hit by a car, herbs are not going to do it. I would need a surgeon to put things back together. If I have lost blood, a blood transfusion is life saving. Modern medicine has its place. Alternative medicine is life saving too. Health is best achieved by the use of both standard and alternative medicine in partnership used to achieve the best possible outcome for the patient. The best way to prevent sickness is to get yourself in optimal health and build up your immune system. Stay away from people who are ill. Wash you hands often and after being in public places. In a waiting room sit away from the other patients. Unless you have to, stay away from emergency rooms and urgent care. If you feel like you are getting sick, start in with Vitamin C and herbs such as garlic and oregano. Rest and drink fluids. Start with this program before the bug sets into your system. The more entrenched it becomes, the harder it is to defeat it. Take an immune system combination of herbs as well. Start early, hit it hard early.

NOTICE:

I do not sell Moringa products as of Sept, 2016. I am working on a project that demands an unbiased viewpoint.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Will Moringa Trees Bloom when Grown In Containers

One of my trees with blooms

These
are the trees that I almost gave up on....that did nothing for 4
months. When June came they began to grow and even have blessed me with
a few blooms. These are now growing in 33 gal trash cans but they
bloomed in 10 gal containers first. Almost all the trees that were so
stubborn are now growing.

These get both sun and shade on this side of the house. This is the only spot they grow in. I am excited to see if I get pods. I have have three 33 gal containers with several trees in each one. Drainage is important to their survival. They have been fed duck do compost tea. All the plants grow beautifully with the duck compost tea. It doesn't burn or have to be aged. It goes right from their duck pond to the containers.

Don't give up on slow growing trees.....if started early in the year as these were. Grown outside without a green house, they grow more slowly and will not do well until summer.

More updates this week.

Kate Freer, The herbladyisin

Buy USDA Organic Certified Moringa Powder, Tea, and Capsules from Ecuador. The products are tested and shipped from a US/GMP compliant lab in Connecticut.

About Me

Freelance Writer, researcher, Master Herbalist, Health Counselor with 25 years of background in alternative medicine and herbs. Studied under the late Bernard Jensen, the father of Iridology and Keith Smith a Master Herbalist in Escondido, CA. Master Herbalist from Dominion Herbal College in Canada in 1986.

I have written articles for both my websites and AC Content over the
past few years.. The Yahoo writers platform closed down on Aug 1st,
2014. All contributing writers profiles and published articles were
removed.

Moringa and Healing Herbs (our business for a few years) was retired due to problems with growing the trees and getting acceptable product. It just didn't fit our new lives in TN. It took a long time to figure out what our new direction should be.

Greatly Blessed Medicinal Herbs and More is our new business started in Oct of this year, 2017, with a new business license. It reflects are new goals and interests including writing still.

My husband and I love to grow herbs and organic veggies in Indian Mound, TN. This is our permanent new home since Jan 13th, 2015. We live outside of Clarksville, TN in the rural area on 17 acres with a new garden, chicken house and yard, areas for herbs and elderberry bushes. It is so beautiful and green. We have so much rain and water here. Our well flows giving us such security. It is home now and it is our peace.

Since moving back to Tenn, we are now working on my business both online and through the community. Due to taking care of my husband's father, he became priority over the business the past three years. It has been a slow journey. We are a Independent representative for Nature's Sunshine Herbs. Along with that I look forward to our backyard nursery officially opening this Spring, 2018. I have always loved to grow things for our family and believe in growing as much as possible in your own family garden. The past two years we have slowly worked on projects moving toward that goal. The last step in this dream is to get our nursery license early in the new 2018 year. Once we have that we can begin in Spring selling plants. There could be delays so I will update this after we have our nursery license.

I no longer sell Moringa products or trees. I have not found them to grow here even as a house tree. I have decided to go in the direction of Moringa education rather than sales. Moringa has become popular. With popularity, comes both ethical sellers and sellers who are selling unsafe products. Some of the claims made for Moringa are not valid.

There needs to be someone who educates customers on Moringa with truth. I decided to move on with that goal. I stopped selling Moringa so I can educate people from an unbiased frame of reference.